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Disney Blizzard Beach

July 30, 2010 By Alison 2 Comments

No Disney World vacation is really complete without a visit to Blizzard Beach. This is Disney’s most exciting water park with water slides to satisfy those guests who really do want to travel at 60 miles per hour into the water (the infamous Blizzard Beach Summit Plummet)as well as those who simply want to relax and drift around aimlessly in a raft around the park. Disney Blizzard Beach has something for everyone.

The concept? The idea is that Disney’s Blizzard Beach was formed after a particularly cold winter in Florida when it actually snowed. Of course the snow did not last long in the sunshine state and it all melted. But the mountains and ski lifts remained and all the water melted to form a lagoon.

This was of course the perfect Disney irony as Blizzard Beach opened on 1st April 1995. So now Disney World guests have two choices of water park with this snowy paradise and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon.

What exactly will you find at Blizzard Beach? How much are the tickets? When is the best time to visit? Follow this comprehensive guide to get the very most out of your visit!

Disney World Water Park Tickets

Picture by paladin27

There are two ways to buy your Disney Water Park Tickets

1. You can buy a separate ticket to spend a day at Blizzard Beach. This is $47.93 for adults and $36.21 for a child aged 3 to 9.

2. Buy a ticket to the Disney World parks which includes the water parks as part of the Disney Magic Your Way Ticket. The cost to add the Water Park Fun and More option is $55.38. The number of visits will depend upon the amount of days in your Magic Your Way Ticket. If you are planning a visit to a water park more than once, or to a water park and Disney Quest then it is usually cheaper to add on the Water Park Fun and More option to your ticket.

Annual passes are also available so that you can visit Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon as many times as you want in the year. The rate for this is $106.45 for adults and $85.73 for children aged 3 to 9.

Blizzard Beach Opening Times

Photo by chromatic

The Disney Water Parks close for about 3 months of the year for maintenence and rehab works. When one is closed the other will be open. For 2011 Blizzard Beach will be closed from 9th January 2011 to 19th March 2011.

The park opens daily from 9am until 5pm.

Blizzard Beach Summit Plummet

Photo by gnislew

Summit Plummet is the most extreme water slide at Blizzard Beach. A white knuckle ride on water! Travel at up to 60 miles per hour and drop 13 stories on the ultimate water slide. Blizzard Beach Summit Plummet is very popular so arrive early unless you want to stand in line for a long time. Also ladies the best advice is to wear a one piece. It happens every day that someone loses their modesty on this slide when they lose a part of their bikini! Guests must be at least 48″ tall to ride Summit Plummet.

If Summit Plummit is not for you then try the slightly slower – only 50 miles per hour – Slusher Gusher. The height requirement is 48″.

Blizzard Beach Double Gusher is a lot of fun. The Double Dipper has 2 side by side 50 foot long water slides where you can race against a fellow guest to see who reaches the bottom first. For this slide you ride in an inner tube and can reach up to 25 mph. The height requirement is 48″ and the catch pool is 54″ deep.

Picture by gnislew

Every ski resort has to have a lift and of course Blizzard Beach has one of it’s own! You can walk to the top of the water slides up the stairs or you can take Blizzard Beach Chair Lift. At busy times long lines do form so you may want to use up some energy and use the stairs before you plummet down the slide! The height requirement for the Chair Lift is 32″.

There are no height restrictions for Runoff Rapids. This is a 600 foot inner tube ride with 3 slides to choose from. The slides twist and turn. There are 2 slides which are open and can take 2 people. The third choice is an enclosed slide for just one rider.

Snow Stormers is one of my personal favorites. There are 3 slides which are each 350 feet long and each rider slides along face down on a mat. The water in the catch pool is 3″ 9′ so it is a good one for smaller children. The Toboggan Racers are also a good choice for younder ones as this 250′ slide has a zero entry pool at the bottom.

A great ride for the whole family is Teamboat Springs. This is the largest family white water raft attraction in the world for families. Teamboat Springs is 1200′ long. The rafts take between 4 and 6 people at a time.

Cross Country Creek

Photo by paladin27

Pick up an inner tube and sail around Cross Country Creek. I have to admit that this is one of my favorite ways to spend my time at Blizzard Beach. The journey right around the park takes around half and hour but you can hop on and off at any of the 7 entry points. You can even swim around without the tube so you can pretend that you are getting at least some exercise. The landscaping around the Creek is beautiful.

Blizzard Beach Ski Patrol Training Camp

This is the area specifically designed for children and is packed with things for them to do including ice berg walks and small slides. There is a T Bar attraction which drops into a very deep pool. Guests often do not realize that this pool is over 8 feet deep and so you have to be a very confident swimmer here. So beware. Always have children wear the free life jackets in all areas of Blizzard Beach unless they are strong swimmers.

For the very little ones there is Tike’s Peak where only those 48″ and under can play. As you can imagine this area gets extremely busy so grab your spot early if you have younger children.

Melt Away Bay is the large pool at the foot of Mount Gushmore. This is a very gentle wave pool which is also very popular. Guests tend to gravitate towards this area for seating so once again if you want to sit here then arrive early.

Food At Blizzard Beach

There are of course plenty of places to buy food at Blizzard Beach but to save money you may want to think about bringing your own. Yes Disney really does allow you to bring a cooler and food to Blizzard Beach. Use your common sense as to how much you will bring – so long as you can physically carry the cooler you should not meet any objection from the Cast Members. The only restriction is that you cannot bring in any alcohol or glass containers.

But if you don’t bring your own food you won’t go hungry as there are plenty of fast food eating places in Blizzard Beach. You will find turkey legs,hot dogs and ice cream in Avalunch. The Cooling Hut for ice cream and pop corn. Frostbite Freddie’s for beer and frozen drink specialties. Frosting the Joe Man for coffee. Funnel Cakes for funnel cakes and cotton candy. Polar Pub for frozen drinks and beer. Sled Dogs Expeditions serves ice cream sundaes. Mini Donuts serves just that! The Warming Hut serves hot dogs,turkey legs and ice cream.

There is one counter service restaurant in Blizzard Beach and this is the Lottawotta Lodge. It has the usual fast food favorites of burgers,pizza,sandwiches and salads. Healthy options are very difficult to find at Blizzard Beach so if this is important to you be sure to bring your own food.

When Should I Visit Blizzard Beach?

The Disney Water Parks are popular and will close when they get to capacity – they have to for safety reasons.

Arrive early. Get to Blizzard Beach around 45 minutes before the published opening time with your ticket in your hand or ready to use one of the automated ticket machines. Then you will get a head start on every one else. It is useful to know which attraction you want to prioritize so if you want to go on Summit Plummet then head there first.

Disney Water parks also close for safety reasons in a rainstorm. Often the storm passes and the park opens again. Most of the guests will leave at this point. If you think that the storm may pass over then it may be worth waiting around for the park to open – you will be one of only a few who do and you will have a much quiter park once the storm is over.

Playing the weather game can backfire though. Look at the weather forecast before you go to Blizzard Beach.No rain checks are offered at Disney. If you are in the park and it closes and you don’t go back there are no refunds on your tickets.

Another tip if you arrive early is to bypass the lockers. Just wear your swim gear under shorts and a shirt and wear flip flops or shoes you can wear in the water. The lines at the lockers can sometimes be as long and slow as for the slides so by the time you have secured your locker you have lost you early morning advantage! For those who need lockers these are available for $13 for a small one and $15 for a large including a $5 refundable deposit for your locker key. You can also rent towels for $2 each.

If you are a Disney Resort guest then you can take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours at Blizzard Beach. This is a great time to visit as the park opens every morning one hour earlier than for non Disney guests and also some days stays open for an extra 3 hours. Be sure to check the current Extra Magic Hours Schedule when you arrive at your resort.

Always stay safe. There are free life jackets of all sizes available at Snowless Joes if you leave a photo ID and a $25 refundable deposit. Remember your waterproof sun screen and stay in the shade whenever you can. The Florida sun is hot and you don’t want to spoil the perfect day at Blizzard Beach with a sun burn.

Filed Under: Disney Parks, Disney Tips, Disney Water Parks Tagged With: , , ,

Will Walt Disney World Ticket Prices Increase?

July 29, 2010 By Alison Leave a Comment

There is some speculation that the price of Disney World tickets will increase in the very near future. Every year since 2007 Disney World ticket prices have increased and each time it was the first week of August. In 2006 there were 2 price increases. So as we are rapidly approaching the ‘magic date’ in 2010 perhaps you ought to think about buying your tickets now if you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World.

Of course it may be that prices stay the same. Perhaps Disney has decided that now is not the time to raise prices. Only time will tell.

Remember that how you buy your tickets is very important. Always buy either direct from Disney itself of from a Disney Authorized Ticket Agent. By buying from an authorized agent you know that you are getting the best possible deal and that the tickets are legitimate.

At the moment my recommended agent has some great deals available including a free upgrade to a 5 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket when you buy a 3 day ticket. You can have the tickets delivered right to your door so that you are already to go.

Find Disney Ticket Deals

Just click on the link above for the very best Disney World Ticket Deals.

Photos by expressmonorail

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Disney Contemporary Resort

July 27, 2010 By Alison 4 Comments

Are you thinking of staying in the Disney Contemporary Resort?  This is one of Walt Disney World’s deluxe hotel resorts and is very conveniently on the monorail system which will take you to Magic Kingdom in just minutes.  In fact you do not even have to leave the hotel to jump on the monorail – it runs right through the hotel!

  The Contemporary Resort is also  within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom – and gives you some of the very best views of the Disney fireworks from anywhere in the World outside of the park.

The Contemporary Resort was part of Walt Disney’s original vision for Disney World.  He planned this hotel, along with The Grand Floridian and The Polynesian.   For Walt Disney the Contemporary Resort was his vision of the ultimate hotel of the future.

Picture by kathika

Staying at a Walt Disney World hotel gives you many advantages.  Particularly if you choose a hotel which is located on the monorail system as this give you very easy access to Magic Kingdom and Epcot.  Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios, the water parks and Downtown Disney can also be reached via the bus and water transportation systems.

 A Disney World hotel stay will also give you the benefits which only Disney resort guests enjoy, such as early and late park entry hours on selected days and the Disney Dining Plan.

But what is the Disney Contemporary Resort really like? To find out if The Contemporary Resort is right for you and your family take a tour around the hotel  to find out which are the best rooms, the finest restaurants, and explore just what is there to do in the hotel.

Disney Contemporary Resort Hotel Rooms

The location of the hotel may be excellent but what you really need to know is what are the rooms actually like?  For anyone who likes contemporary design then they will most definitely enjoy the Contemporary Resort.  A relatively recent renovation in 2008 of all the rooms at the resort brought the hotel very much back into the 21st century with sleek contemporary design.

Picture by udt007us

The standard rooms are a generous size at 394 square feet.  Each room will sleep up to 5 guests and also accommodate a child under 3 in a crib.

Each standard room at Disney’s Contemporary Resort  has 2 Queen beds and a day bed, or a King and a day bed.

 Each room has a wall mounted flat screen television and a computer with internet access and Contemporary Concierge which is free to use. There is wireless internet available for your own laptop for which there is a charge.  Since the rennovation the hotel decor is once again very contemporary with very modern design.

  The one thing which guests may find lacking in the rooms is that feel that you are in Disney World.  If you want upfront non stop Disney this probably is not the hotel for you.  No Mickey Mouse comforers here!  But of course that total Disney experience is just on your doorstep even if it is not really inside your room!

The Contemporary Resort has 2 distinct sections.  The main building with the monorial running through it, the main lobby and the restaurants.  This is the Tower building.  The second, separate building is The Garden Wing.

The views from The Tower can be of Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon, or Bay Lake. Many people prefer The Tower rooms, not only for the views, but also because they are close to the monorail and restaurants.  The Tower rooms all have a small balcony which has 2 chairs and a table.

The Garden View rooms have a view of the parking lot, the water or the garden. They Garden Rooms do not have a balcony – perhaps a bit of a downside when you are paying for a deluxe hotel.   You can choose a ground floor Garden View room as these do have a patio.

Picture by kathika

The Tower rooms are higher priced than the Garden rooms.  Indeed Disney now seems to put a much higher premium on Tower rooms as rates start at around $400 per night for the Tower and $285 for The Garden.  You may decide that the you would rather get the great location of The Contemporary Resort and save money by staying in a Garden room if the only sacrifice is the view and the lack of balcony.  For others the view is the key and is worth paying the extra.

Which are the best rooms in The Tower? Ask for a Magic Kingdom view room on the 9th floor or higher. These of course command a higher rate but if you want the best view then you may be prepared to pay the extra. The only downside to some of the lower floor Tower rooms is that they can be a little noisy as they are located directly above the Grand Canyon Concourse with the restaurants, shops and monorail.

In the Tower on the Bay Lake side all of the rooms have good views but of course the higher up you go the better the view gets.

Photo by Ben Dodson 

Disney’s Contemporary Resort Concierge Level

Is the concierge level worth the extra money at The Contemporary Resort?  Of course it really depends upon what you are looking for. What extra does it give you?

The Concierge rooms are located on the 12th and 14th floor of the Tower building. Standard rooms on the 12th floor are the same as any other standard room in the resort you are not getting anything different there. Suites and standard rooms are on the 14th floor. You will have a view either of the Magic Kingdom or Bay Lake depending on which side of the Tower you are located. You can request a particular view but as with all Disney resort hotel requests this is not guaranteed.

There are two concierge club lounges at the Contemporary Resort - both offer the same service. On the 12th floor it is the Atrium Club Concierge and on the 14th the Tower Club Concierge. Both lounges have a great view of the Magic Kingdom and of course you can use the Disney concierge service to help you plan your stay.

Photo by hz536n

The Concierge lounge also offers complimentary food and drinks. Depending upon how much you use this it can save you a significant amount of money. Breakfast offerings include tea, coffee, juice,pastries, hot and cold cereal, croissants and fruit. Afternoon snacks include cookies, Goldfish crackers, brownies, pretzels, rice crispy treats and beverages.

In the evening there is wine and cheese, beer, hot appetizers,crudite with dips. Then there is the wonderful dessert buffet where the selection changes every day.

Concierge includes nightly turn down service too. This is a nice perk but in my experience not really that much of a benefit.

Is concierge level worth the extra money at the Contemporary Resort? Guests opinions do differ quite a lot about this. I have stayed in many Disney resorts both in standard and concierge levels and I always check the price difference between the two very carefully. Sometimes the difference in rate can just be made up by eating some of the family meals in the lounge. Breakfast is a quick and easy option. But  when you are using the Disney Dining Plan as increasingly most guests are this is only a minimal  saving  as you have already paid for meals.

The view from the concierge lounges of the Magic Kingdom fireworks is one of the best in the whole of Walt  Disney World. Some will say it is worth the upgrade just for that. Really it just depends on how much of a price you personally put on experience – and of course just how deep your pockets are!

Disney Contemporary Resort Dining Options

If you want one of the finest restaurants with perhaps the best view of Magic Kingdom  in the whole of Disney World then head to the California Grill on the 15th floor of the Contemporary Resort. This is consistently one of the most highly regarded restaurants in Disney World and the view of the fireworks is spectacular.  It used to be that anyone could sneak a look from the 15th floor but Disney has long since got wise to that one.  Now a private access elevator is closed to all except those with a California Grill reservation.

Chef Mickey’s is one of the most popular Disney character meals and is located in the main concourse of the Contemporary Resort.  This is one of my favorite character dining locations as not only is the food of good quality for a buffet, but the easy access to Magic Kingdom on the monorail makes it a great place to start or end the day after a visit to the park.  If you want to share you meal experience with Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald then this is the place for you!

Photo by expressmonorail

 The all you can eat breakfast buffet is $26.62 for adults and $13.99 for children aged 3 to 9.  It has all the usual breakfast offerings, cereals, pancakes,Minnie’s breakfast pizza,omelet, Mickey waffles, Goofy’s corned beef hash.

 Dinner is served at Chef Mickey’s from 5.30 to 9.00. There is a good selection  at the buffet including prime rib, tamarind glazed salmon,salad bar, specials for the children including Mickey’s mac and cheese and of course some very tempting desserts. The price for dinner is $34.07 for adults and $17.03 for children. Grautity is not included.

Chef Mickey’s is one of the most popular of the character dining venues so be sure to make Advance Dining Reservations as soon as possible.

The Wave restaurant is an upscale restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Breakfast entrees start at around $10 and up and include waffles, omelets and French Toast.  Lunch offers a selction of entrees such as Seasonal Vegetable Stew, Classic Reuben Sandwich, and Italian Chef Salad all offered at around the $15 price range.  Dinner favorites include Braised Lamb Shank, Chicken Pot Pie, and Pan Seared Scallops for around $20 and upwards.

For a quick bite there is the Contempo Cafe where you can order breakfast, lunch and dinner from touch screen menus.

Disney’s Contemporary Resort Recreation Facilities

One disappointing aspect of the Contemporary Resort hotel is the swimming pools – they just do not compare very well to the other monorail hotels The Grand Floridian and The Polynesian. There are two swimming pools but there is almost a complete lack of theme and really there is nothing particularly remarkable about them.  Hopefully one day Disney will address this and update them.

Picture by gelrodandjodie

But you won’t be short of things to do at the The Contemporary. There is a health club, video arcade, basketball hoops, beach volleyball, tennis courts, a playground and a sandbox

If water sports are your thing then you will be well catered for at the Contemporary. You can rent water craft from the marina and even try out water skiing.

Filed Under: Disney Parks, Disney World Dining, Disney World Hotels Tagged With: , ,

Disney World and Disneyland Annual Pass

July 22, 2010 By Alison 7 Comments

Are you thinking of visiting both Walt Disney World and Disneyland this year? Disney has just announced a new combined annual pass for Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California.

Named the Disney Premier Passport this annual ticket will give pass holders access to Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as the Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks, DisneyQuest, Disney’s Wide World of Sport’s and the Oak Trail Golf Course. In other words it is a combined Disneyland Annual Premium Pass and Disney World Premium Annual Pass.

You will of course get all the usual Premium Annual Passholder perks including free parking, select merchandise discounts and invitations to special events.

Whilst I am extremely pleased that Disney is finally offering this pass as I visit both parks and this will represent a considerable saving, it will be ineresting to see how many guests become Disney Premier Passport Holders.

Each Premier Pass costs $749 plus tax for adults and children aged 3 and up. As an adult Disney World Premium Annual Pass costs $649 plus tax for adults and a Disneyland Annual Premium Pass costs $499 plus tax for adults it is a considerable saving.

So if you know you are going to be visiting both Walt Disney World and Disneyland this year then the Premier Pass may make a lot of sense for you and your family. You can buy your Disney Premier Pass at any Disneyland ticket window, Guest Relations at Walt Disney World theme parks and Downtown Disney. This pass is not yet available online.

Photo by Samantha Decker

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Walt Disney World Free Dining Offer 2010

July 7, 2010 By Alison 3 Comments

Walt Disney World Free Dining is back again! Disney World is always a great place to stay but the free dining offer always makes it that much more tempting because of the excellent value it offers. The Disney World Free Dining Offer is now valid for stays most nights from 15th August 2010 to 21st December 2010.

So what do you need to do to qualify for Disney’s Free Dining Offer? Firstly you must book your Walt Disney World Vacation Package on or before 14th August 2010. Secondly the Disney Vacation Package must include at least a 5 night 6 day stay at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel and include a 6 day park ticket.

Walt Disney World has several different Dining Plans – which one you get free will depend upon the Disney Resort Hotel which you book.

If you book a Value Resort then you will get the Quick Service Dining Plan free. To get the Disney Regular Dining Plan Free you must book a Moderate, Deluxe or Deluxe Villas Resort for your stay.

You can also upgrade your Dining Plan for the usual upgrade rate. Wine Packages are also available for an upgrade fee.

The Disney World Free Dining Discount Codes which you need are:

NF3 for Value Resorts with free Quick Service Dining
WG7 for Moderate and Deluxe Resorts with free Regular Dining

There are some block out dates and of course the Free Dining Offer is subject to availability. Free dining is available for Walt Disney World Resort Hotel stays August 15th to October 7th, October 22nd to 28th, November 12th to 18th, November 27th to December 2nd, and December 10th to December 21st.

Photo Courtesy of Samantha Decker

Filed Under: Disney Parks, Disney World Dining, Disney World Hotels

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